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SESTA/FOSTA and LIS [Farewell]

My semester is coming to its end, though my grad school career is not (I still have one more semester!). Still, this will be my last post on Hack Library School. I have deeply valued the opportunity to connect with LIS students across the country and learn about how this field simultaneouslyfrustrates andinspires each of us. I myself have used my status as a contributing writer in order to enhance my knowledge on the intersections between library science and social justice topics such asfeminism,food justice,environmentalism, andthe status of people of color in the field. To continue this trend, I would like to use my farewell post to bring attention to an issue that I have observed few LIS folks discussing, despite its significant ramifications for our field. I thank my girlfriend for bringing the issue to my attention.

Since our society is generallyignorant of and hostile to sex workers, many of us are inclined to dismiss situations that primarily or initially affect them, even whenthey are not the only ones who suffer. For this reason, SESTA/FOSTA has not attracted as much attention as the repeal of net neutrality, despite the existence in both legal matters of similar questions regarding privacy and access. It is common for people in power, through appeals to morality or economic responsibility, to designate particular groups as undesirables, undermining potential solidarity between those people and the rest of society. We see this today withundocumented individuals and the burgeoningincarcerated population. This divide and conquer strategy masks the reality that, even for those of us who are not sex workers, SESTA/FOSTA is a threat.

So what can we do as information professionals? We must begin by listening to sex workers to educate ourselves. Visit websites such as the Black Sex Worker Collective, Red Light Legal, and Survivors Against SESTA, and donate if possible. On social media, take a look at the hashtags #LetUsSurvive and #SurvivorsAgainstSESTA. It is important to avoid creating a false dichotomy between LIS folks and sex workers, considering that some LIS folks have engaged in sex work in the past (or the present). Their voices should be amplified, too. Moreover, as Maxine Holloway has pointed out, it is necessary to be vocal about sex worker rights in our personal, professional, and educational settings. One concrete action that comes to mind is increasing solidarity with incarcerated sex workers by donating to and collaborating with prison libraries. Certainly, it is true that the very concept of sex work is taboo in most of our workplaces. Nevertheless, if we stick to the missions and values of librarianship, we can play a part in mitigating harm and getting information resources to marginalized people.

Ayoola White graduates from Simmons College in December 2018.

Cover photo: An image of a red umbrella, the international symbol for sex workers’ rights, with the written message “WE DON’T NEED TO BE SAVED!” found on this website. Licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.